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Mile 890.  Tortoise did a double loop walk today, sandwiched around a Special Needs Activity Program meeting in La Verkin this evening.  Lou started by parking at the west church building, then did a loop through Confluence Park.  After the activity, he then did a second "inner" loop.  It looks fun on the map, almost like a maze.  Almost.  For more pictures, a map, additional details, and today's walking thought by Dieter Uchtdorf, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

Today's walk was 5.60 miles and had a 4.7 tortoise rating earned by climbing 402 feet in the 2.80 mile uphill portion.  The over 5 mile distance qualifies this walk for the Benjamin Category Override to a 5.0 tortoise rating, which wasn't needed today.  Average elevation was 3134.  This walk burned 836 calories in 1:47:38 hours.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2015:

890.43 miles walked which is 88.87% of Lou's 2015 goal.  On this day in 2014, Tortoise had walked 865.04 miles.

272:42:16 hours walked which is 87.13% of the 2015 goal (which is to walk 1 hour a day on the 313 days other than Sunday in the year).

47,731 total feet climbed, compared with 42,539 feet on this day in 2014.

133,452 calories burned.

82.75% of the year has passed.

Lou has walked 147 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11.  Overall he has walked on 250 of the 259 non-Sundays in 2015, a 96.53% consistency rating.  This compares with 246 days walked in the same period in 2014 (a 94.98% consistency rating).

The purpose of the percentages is to have a higher percentage of both distance and of time walked than of the year.  This tells Tortoise that he is on track.  Yes, this is more numbers than you are likely interested in, all Tortoise can say is he's really good at setting high goals and having them slip away because he doesn't do them every, every day.  (If you doubt this, compare Tortoise's walking record up until 2013 with 2014 or 2015 ... for him, it is what it takes to be consistent.  He hopes you find what works for you).

And now for today's walking thought ...

"Just think about it.  How much easier would it have been for Daniel to simply go along with the ways of Babylon?  He could have set aside the restrictive code of conduct God had given the children of Israel.  He could have feasted on the rich foods provided by the king and indulged in the worldly pleasures of the natural man.  He would have avoid ridicule.

"He would have been popular.

"He would have fit in.

"His path might have been much less complicated.

"That is, of course, until the day when the king demanded an interpretation of his dream.  Then Daniel would have found that he, like the rest of Babylon's 'wise men,' had lost his connection to the true source of light and wisdom.

"Daniel passed his test.  Ours still continues."

-- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Be Not Afraid, Only Believe", October 2015 LDS General Conference

The tortoise is smiling!